Consumer inquiries increase in wake of Canadian Broadcasting Corporation report focusing on controversy over link between woman’s death and Yasmin birth control pill blood clot risks

Resource4thePeople announced today that it is increasing the number of lawyers available to assist women who may have suffered blood clots from the use of the popular birth control pills Yaz and Yasmin because of mounting inquiries stemming from a controversial Canadian case.

As reported by the Canadian Broadcasting Company (CBC) the British Columbia coroner’s office refused an autopsy request by the family of a woman who died from blood clots after being prescribed Yasmin.*

The family then spent $1,200 out of their own pockets and their pathologist found that Yasmin and the woman’s obesity put her at risk of suffering the fatal blood clots.

“According to the CBC the victim’s family is now seeking legal advice to determine whether they will join in the litigation against the manufacturers of Yasmin,” said Resource4thePeople. “This case involves similar allegations to those made in thousands of Yaz and Yasmin lawsuits that have been filed in the United States.

“We are now adding lawyers and legal resources to handle the increased number of inquiries being received as a result of this controversy in British Columbia and other incidents involving Yaz and Yasmin blood clots that have been publicized in the media.”

Women who have filed Yaz and Yasmin blood-clotting lawsuits have claimed that they suffered blood clots, deep vein thrombosis, strokes and pulmonary embolisms as a result of their use of the contraceptives according to allegations contained in their lawsuits.

There have been so many of these Yaz and Yasmin blood-clotting lawsuits filed over claims of severe health problems that the federal court system has coordinated many of them in what is called a multi-district litigation.

Court records show that this special litigation is now in pre-trial evidence gathering and settlement talks before a federal judge who is overseeing thousands of such lawsuits in Illinois.**

Resource4thePeople said that as more Yaz and Yasmin blood-clotting victims come forward it will continue to provide referrals to lawyers offering free consultations. These consultations can provide legal options to victims who may have suffered health problems as outlined in an April 10, 2012 FDA warning*** which said:

“The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has completed its review of recent observational (epidemiologic) studies regarding the risk of blood clots in women taking drospirenone-containing birth control pills. Drospirenone is a synthetic version of the female hormone, progesterone, also referred to as a progestin. Based on this review, FDA has concluded that drospirenone-containing birth control pills may be associated with a higher risk for blood clots than other progestin-containing pills. FDA is adding information about the studies to the labels of drospirenone-containing birth control pills.”

In its announcement the FDA said that “The revised drug labels (Beyaz, Safyral, Yasmin and Yaz) will report that some epidemiologic studies reported as high as a three-fold increase in the risk of blood clots for drospirenone-containing products when compared to products containing levonorgestrel or some other progestins, whereas other epidemiological studies found no additional risk of blood clots with drospirenone-containing products. The labels also will include a summary of the previously released results of an FDA-funded study of the blood clot risk.”

In the Canadian case, the CBC reported that 36-year-old Rhonda Bergen died suddenly from blood clots in a hospital last September and the coroner refused the family’s request to investigate, saying she had died of natural causes.

Six weeks before her death, Bergen's doctor put her on a prescription for Yasmin, a birth control pill to treat her problems with poly cystic ovarian syndrome, according to her sister.

“After five weeks on Yasmin, Bergen suddenly developed breathing problems and went to a walk-in clinic where the doctor told her she was likely suffering from the flu,” according to the CBC.

Later, according to the CBC report, doctors found huge blood clots in her lungs and she died Dec. 16.

“When the coroner ruled she had died of natural causes and refused to order an autopsy, they decided to pay for one themselves,” the CBC reported the family saying. When the results showed a possible link to Yasmin use the family decided to seek legal advice, according to the report.

The CBC interviewed former B.C. coroner Dr. Robert Crossland, who told them that when a woman dies suddenly after starting a drug, that is the coroner's business.

Many of the inquiries from women who have suffered serious side effects from their use of Yaz and Yasmin were not aware of the number of law suits that have been filed over blood-clotting problems, said Resource4thePeople.

“We are finding that even in this world of advanced technology and instant information many women are telling us they were not fully informed about the health risks that they may have faced through the use of birth control devices and other medications,” said Resource4thePeople.

“It is important for them to know that the court files of the multi-district Yaz and Yasmin litigation in Illinois involving blood-clotting dangers show that some of these cases already have been settled with the manufacturers compensating victims,” said Resource4thePeople.

“These women should also know that in many cases they may still be eligible to join in this litigation and our lawyers are continuing to investigate such cases.”